Alia couldn't wait to finish the clothes she was working on. Every now and then, she glanced at the clock. It was her birthday. She had just turned twenty.
Excitement buzzed in her veins. She expected her boyfriend, Daniel, to have called her by now or maybe surprised her with a gift. But as the clock edged toward noon, there was nothing—no call, no message. The silence was beginning to sting.
Unable to hold back any longer, Alia hurriedly packed up her things and decided to head over to his place.
They were from different packs, and even though they had been dating for a year, this was only her second visit to his house. The thought made her anxious. She hadn't told him she was coming—she wanted it to be a surprise.
As she stepped into the house, her nerves eased slightly. She greeted everyone she saw, her voice bright and warm. Then she spotted his sister, Maya.
"Maya!" Alia called out cheerfully.
Maya froze in surprise. "Happy birthday, Alia," she replied, her voice shaky, a nervous smile plastered on her face. Droplets of sweat formed on her brow. She knew Alia had come at the worst possible time.
Just moments ago, Maya had caught her brother kissing one of the lower-ranked wolves in the backyard. She had tried to confront him about Alia, but his menacing growl had silenced her. Never in her wildest thoughts did she expect Alia to show up unannounced.
"What brings you here?" Maya asked, trying to mask her unease.
Before Alia could respond, a servant interrupted. "Miss Maya, our Luna is asking for you."
Maya saw her chance to escape. "Alia, stay here. I'll bring Daniel to you," she said hastily and hurried off before Alia could protest.
"Wait, Maya!" Alia called after her, wanting to explain her plan to surprise Daniel, but Maya had already disappeared.
"What's wrong with her?" Alia muttered to herself, unsettled by Maya's strange reaction.
Left alone, she glanced around. The house seemed quiet—too quiet. Deciding she didn't want Maya to ruin her surprise, Alia resolved to find Daniel herself.
Quietly, she made her way upstairs. She vaguely remembered which room was his, though uncertainty gnawed at her. She was almost sure it was the last room on the first floor.
Now standing in the hallway, two doors loomed before her—one on her left and another on her right. She hesitated, torn between the two. For a moment, she considered going back downstairs to wait, but her impatience won out.
Taking a deep breath, she chose the door on the left. Her heart raced as she stood before it. Tentatively, she knocked once. No response. She knocked again, louder this time. Still nothing.
Disheartened, she turned to leave. But just as she took a step away, a familiar laugh drifted through the air, stopping her in her tracks.
"You piece of shit! All this time, you wanted him for yourself!" Alia's voice trembled with fury as she hurled the accusation at Lizzy. Before anyone could react, she pounced on her. The two girls clawed and pulled at each other's hair, their rage spilling out in a chaotic frenzy.
The two men standing nearby rushed to separate them, their efforts futile at first against the raw energy of the scuffle. With much struggle, they finally managed to pull the girls apart. Alia found herself restrained by the man she had just met, while Lizzy was held tightly by her boyfriend.
Breathing heavily, Alia jerked herself free from the stranger's hold. A bitter smile twisted her lips as she fixed her tear-filled eyes on Daniel and Lizzy. "You still choose *her,*" she said, her voice breaking with a mixture of heartbreak and betrayal.
"Alia…" Maya's voice rang out as she appeared on the scene, running toward them. But she skidded to a stop when she saw the tension thick in the air. Her heart sank. She knew she was too late.
Maya had gone back to the backyard to search for Daniel, but he was nowhere to be found. Now, seeing the confrontation unfold before her, she realized the damage was already done.
"Alia, I'm sorry," Daniel began, his voice laced with guilt and desperation.
"Save it," Alia snapped, cutting him off with icy finality. The pain coursing through her chest was unbearable, a deep ache that threatened to consume her. Without another word, she turned and stormed away, her anger propelling her forward. She didn't spare them another glance, her shoulders rigid with barely contained fury.
Jaden, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, couldn't take his eyes off Alia. Her beauty was captivating, but it wasn't just her appearance that held him in place. There was something about her—a mix of strength and vulnerability that stirred something deep within him.
He felt a pang of pity for her and silently questioned his younger brother's foolishness. Why couldn't Daniel simply choose one woman and stick to her?
But as Jaden watched her retreat, his wolf stirred, restless and excited. It leaped within him, a rare occurrence after years of silence. He couldn't ignore the pull he felt toward her. The wolf inside him howled with anticipation, recognizing something Jaden himself couldn't yet understand.
Her scent lingered in the air, intoxicating and unforgettable. He wanted to know more about her—who she was, which clan she belonged to—but the chaos of the moment left him with only her scent to hold onto.
Alia fled into the woods, her wolf form sleek and powerful as she raced through the trees. The cool air whipped against her fur, but she didn't slow down. Her breaths came in ragged pants, her legs burning from the effort, but she pushed herself harder.
She knew she was no match for the corrupted ones, but she didn't care. She needed to run—to escape, to drown out the images of what she had witnessed.
Her thoughts swirled in turmoil, and without realizing it, she found herself at the edge of a glistening lake. The water called to her, its surface calm and inviting. She couldn't resist.
Alia dove in, her wolf form giving way to her human body as she sank beneath the surface. The cool embrace of the water soothed her burning skin, and for a moment, she felt weightless, as if all her pain could be washed away.
But even as she swam, the memory of that day replayed in her mind, a relentless torment she couldn't escape.
The lake was off-limits, forbidden to all, but Alia didn't care. It was the only place where the cold, clear waters could soothe her turmoil.
"Mia, I'm so tired," Alia murmured to her wolf, her voice trembling with distress.
"I would help, but I can't take over until you've accepted your mate," Mia replied softly, her voice tinged with both empathy and resignation.
Alia regretted coming out in the first place. She hated how her day had unfolded—a birthday turned into a nightmare. How could she end up dying on her own birthday?
Her legs gave out beneath her as she tripped and fell, her body collapsing onto the forest floor. She lay there panting, exhaustion sapping her strength. She could feel them—the corrupted ones. They were near, too close. She knew she didn't have the energy to run any further.
Tears pooled in her eyes, then fell freely down her cheeks as despair set in. She accepted her fate.
"Bring her to me," one of the men growled, his voice cold and commanding.
Alia's heart sank. She knew this was the end. Her prayers felt futile, her hope flickering like a dying flame. Just as her mind began to drift into darkness, a sudden rustling in the bushes jolted her senses.
A tall, imposing figure emerged from the shadows. His presence was commanding, his aura radiating raw power.
"Let her go," he commanded, his voice deep and laced with fury.
His fangs protruded from his gums, his fingers elongating into razor-sharp claws. The corrupted ones froze, their confidence replaced by fear.
"Let's get out of here! He reeks of danger!" one of them hissed. "I can feel his excessive strength."
Without hesitation, they turned and fled, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Alia remained on the ground, her eyes shut tightly, bracing for the end. Yet nothing happened. No pain, no attack. Only silence.
"Are you alright?" a calm yet masculine voice broke through her haze.
Her breath hitched as she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was his face, mere inches from hers. His intense gaze was locked onto hers, filled with a mix of concern and something deeper.
"You? They both chorsed in surprise.